Removable insert device



Sept. 69 E. SVPICER 3,466,436

REMOVABLE INSERT DEVI CE Filed Jan. 2'7, 1967 6 i f H 52 6x53 57 as FDWAEO s me? INVENTOR BY 2 4% MW;

United States Patent 3,466,436 REMOVABLE INSERT DEVICE Edward Spicer, 11631 Dona Alicia Place, Studio City, Calif. 91604 Filed Jan. 27, 1967, Ser. No. 612,196 Int. Cl. F21v 3/04 US. Cl. 240-100 10 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A lighting fixture having a metallic reflector with rectangular windows formed therein. Ornamental plastic inserts are retained in the respective windows. The inserts are rectangular sheets which are resiliently formed into a U-shaped configuration. The inserts have slots at their corners which engage the respective corners of the associated windows. Each window has one end which is elongated in its central portion to permit the insertion or removal of the insert.

The present invention relates to a removable insert device which always remains locked in place at three of its four corners.

According to the present invention the windows of the light fixture, and the flexible inserts which are to be positioned in the windows, are shaped insuch configurations that not only do the inserts remain rigidly in place in their inserted positions, but they can also be conveniently inserted or removed without damage. Specifically, the particular feature which permits the convenient insertion or removal of the inserts is an elongation of the central portion of one end of the window.

Drawing summary FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a lighting fixture embodying the invention;

FIGURE 2 shows a typical window;

FIGURE 3 is an end view of an insert;

FIGURE 4 is a side view of the insert;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURES 6a, 6b, and 60 show other window configurations in accordance with the invention.

Preferred embodiment A light fixture generally indicated as 10 includes a metallic reflector bowl 11 to which a number of ornamental inserts 12 are attached. A glass bowl or lens 13 is disposed beneath the reflector 11, and is held in place by a vertical central stem 14 whose lower end projects beneath the glass 13. The reflector :bowl 11 is formed of rigid material, preferably aluminum or other bright metal, but may also be formed of rigid plastic material. The reflector bowl 11 has a number of windows (FIG- URE 2) formed therein, each of which reecives one of the inserts 12 (FIGURES 3 and 4).

Reflector bowl 11 is somewhat cylindrical in configura tion and hence each peripheral portion of its wall is arcuately curved (FIGURE 5). However, this curvature is relatively small, and insofar as a particular window 20 is concerned the member 11 is a substantially flat rigid member. The window 20 is of a substantially rectangular configuration, being elongated in the vertical direction, having a left longitudinal edge 21, a right longitudinal edge 22, a lower end 23, and an upper edge 28. Lower edge 23 is perpendicular to the side edges 21, 22. The lower corners of the window are designated 24, 25, while the upper corners are designated 26, 27. The upper edge or upper end 28 of the window 20 is convexly curved outward to provide an elongated central portion of the win- "ice dow; that is, the window at its transverse center is longer than it is at either of its longitudinal side edges.

Insert 12 is formed from a thin, generally rectangular sheet of resilient material, preferably extruded plastic, but may also be made of metal or other material if desired. The length of the insert (see FIGURE 4) is somewhat greater than the vertical length of window 20 at its elongated central portion, while the width of the insert is considerably wider than the width of the window. Even when the insert is bent transversely into the substantially U-shaped configuration as shown in FIGURE 3, its maximum width is still slightly greater than the width of window 20. The typical insert shown in FIGURES 3 and 4 has its bottom portion identified as 31 while its left side wall is identified as 32 and the right side wall as 33. The lower end 12a of the insert (seen in FIGURE 3) has a slot 34 formed in the end of side wall 32 leaving a projecting corner 36, and a slot 35 formed in the end of side wall 33 leaving a projecting corner 37. Upper end 12b of the insert, in similar manner, has slots 38 and 39 which leave projecting corners 40, 41, respectively. Slots 34, 35, 38 and 39 are identical.

FIGURE 4 shows the right side wall 33 of the insert with the slots 35, 39 formed in respective ends thereof. The longitudinal distance between the bottoms of those slots is substantially identical to the length of the right side edge 22 of window 20. Therefore, when insert 12 is inserted into window 20, slot 35 is received by corner 25 of the window while slot 39 is received by corner 27 of the window. In a similar manner, the slot 34 of left side wall 32 of the insert is received by corner 24 of the window, while slot 38 (not specifically shown) is received by window corner 26. While insert 12 is preferably initially formed in the substantially U-shaped configration shown in FIGURE 3, it must nevertheless be pinched or bent together somewhat in order to insert it into the win dow, and it has suflicient resilience so that when thus inserted its side walls 32, 33 will bear against the longitudinal side edges 21, 22, respectively, of the window, thus retaining the insert securely in place.

The elongated central portion 28 of the window permits the insert to be inserted or removed without damage. The lower end of the insert is first placed inside the window with slots 34, 35 engaging window corners 24, 25, respectively. Then the upper end 12b of the insert is pinched together so that the side walls 32, 33, and their associated slots 38, 39, are separated by a distance substantially less than the full width of the window. This pinching together of the upper end of the insert permits the projecting corners 40 (not specifically shown) and 41 to be inserted into the window without deformation, and hence without damage. The upper end of the insert is then released so that the walls 32, 33 can spring apart, causing the slots 38, 39 to engage the window corners 26, 27, respectively. The inverse of the above procedure is used for removing the insert.

Insert 12 always remains securely locked in place. A pushing action from one side may release the corresponding one of the corners 40, 41, however, the other three corners always remain locked in place. The insert can only be removed by pinching its upper end together, then withdrawing the upper end while leaving the lower end in place. Finally, the lower end is removed.

Alternate forms FIGURES 6a, 6b, and 6c illustrate alternate configurations of the window 20. FIGURE 6a shows that the elongated central portion at one end of the window may be obtained by forming a rectangular recess therein, rather than a convex curvature. FIGURE 6b shows the lower end of the window having an inwardly protruding central portion 45, which serves the function of retaining the corners 36, 37 of the insert in their respective window corners when the upper end 12a of the insert is pinched together. The window of FIGURE 60 also has an inwardly protruding portion at its lower end, designated 46, however it is of curved rather than of rectangular configuration.

The invention has been described in considerable detail in order to comply with the patent laws by providing a full public disclosure of at least one of its forms. However, such detailed description is not intended in any way to limit the broad features or principles of the invention, or the scope of patent monopoly to be granted.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new in support of Letters Patent is:

1. A removable insert device comprising, in combination:

a substantially flat rigid member having a substantially rectangular window formed therein, one end of said window being elongated in its central portion, and the other end of said window not being elongated in its central portion;

and an insert consisting of a thin, generally rectangular sheet of resilient material which is considerably wider and somewhat longer than said window, said insert being transversely bent into a substantially U- shaped configuration, said insert having two slots in each of its ends near respective corners thereof, the longitudinal distance between the bottoms of the slots on each side of said insert being substantially identical to the length of the corresponding side of of said window;

the longitudinal side edges of said insert projecting through said window and being urged against the sides of said window by the resilient force of said insert;

said insert being easily removable by pinching together one end thereof so that the associated slots no longer engage said one end of said window and the corners of said one end of said insert may then be removed through said elongated central portion of said window end, but not being removable in response to mere lateral side pressure because three of its corners remain locked in place.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said rigid member is made of metal and said insert is a plastic extrusion.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said one end of said window is convexly curved to provide said elongated central portion.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said one end of said Window has a rectangular recess formed therein to provide said elongated central portion.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the other end of said window has an inwardly protruding central portion for retaining the corners of the other end of said insert in the window corners when said one end of said insert is pinched together.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said flat rigid member forms a portion of a reflector bowl and is arcuately curved transversely to said window.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein said fiat rigid member forms a portion of a reflector bowl and is arcuately curved transversely to said window.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein said flat rigid member forms a portion of a reflector bowl and is arcuately curved transversely to said window.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said flat rigid member forms a portion of a reflector bowl and is arcuately curved transversely to said window.

10. In combination, a lighting fixture including a metallic reflector bowl having a hollow interior adapted to receive a light source, said bowl having a plurality of generally rectangular windows formed therein at circumferentially spaced locations, and a corresponding plurality of removable translucent insert devices each of which is normally retained in a respective one of said windows, each of said insert devices consisting of a generally rectangular sheet member which is resiliently formed into a U-shaped configuration and having slots at its four corners which engage respective corners of the associated window, each window having one end which is elongated in its central portion to permit the insertion or removal of the corresponding insert device, each insert device being of such length that it can be inserted in its associated window only by having one end thereof pinched together so as to pass through said window central portion.

References Cited UNITED 'STATES PATENTS 2,293,540 8/1942. Haeussler 240-152 XR 2,448,606 9/1948 Linton 240-152 XR 2,959,668 11/1960 Andrews 240-152 3,076,890 2/1963 Guth 240-152 XR FOREIGN PATENTS 719,416 12/1954 Great Britain.

NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner ROBERT P. GREINER, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 24-73; 240-153 

